Over the years, the state of Florida has garnered the international reputation of being the ideal location to party and soak up the sun. Annually, thousands of students make the trip here in March to have a memorable spring break. In the winter, retired folks travel to Florida to escape the harsh weather conditions, earning them the title 'snowbirds.’ Less known about the state of Florida is its rich and compelling history, dating back thousands of years, long before it was a spring break hotspot. Let's take a look at some of the major historical events that ultimately culminated in Florida becoming our beautiful 27th state.
12,000 BC
Believe it or not, at the end of the last Ice Age, Florida was roughly double the size it is today. In modern times, as the sea level continues to rise, the land area continues to diminish. Around 12,000 BC, the Paleo-Indians first came to Florida in search of food sources. Their main sources of food were mastodons, horses, and giant armadillos. (Yes, giant armadillos!)
It is believed that the Paleo-Indians first came to Florida from Asia, crossing the Bering Bridge from Siberia to Alaska. Once in North America, resources and the hunt for them led the Paleo-Indians as far south east as Florida. Today, the indigenous population of Florida stands at roughly 53,000, after years of colonization, mistreatment by settlers, and disease significantly reduced the population.
5000 BC
Still long before Europeans would ever set foot on North American soil, Paleo-Indians established a permanent settlement along the coast of Florida. By living near the warm ocean waters, they became dependent on the plentiful resources the sea had to offer, thriving on marine life as a primary food source. This period is referred to in history as the ‘Archaic Period’.
500 AD
Fast forward roughly five thousand years, Paleo-Indians develop a significant change in lifestyle, taking to the woodlands to hunt game, rather than using the sea as a primary resource for food. It is at this point as well that the population begins to take to agriculture as well, establishing farms.This period, referred to as the ‘Woodland Period’, is also defined by Paleo-Indians adopting new technology. Not only did the indigenous peoples begin farming around this time, but tools such as ceramics and the bow and arrow also came into the picture. Using the locations where these tools were discovered, archaeologists can roughly determine where the Paleo-Indians had settled.
1500’s
It is widely known that in 1492, Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus visited North America, and so began America’s colonization. There are many documented interactions between European explorers and Native Americans in Florida around this time period. Juan Ponce De Leon is credited with naming Florida in 1513 after ‘Pascua Florida’, meaning ‘Flowery Easter’.
With the arrival of European settlers came the spelling of dark days for the Native Americans, as the settlers brought disease with them. By the end of the 1500’s, smallpox had already claimed the lives of 90 percent of the Native Americans living in Florida at that time. The population unfortunately would never fully replenish.
In 1559, the first 1500 European settlers attempted to establish a permanent settlement in Florida. This ultimately failed, with most of the settlers retreating to Cuba within a short period of time. Around this time period, the French also began to explore the territory.
Late 1500’s to 1750
This period is referred to in history as the ‘Spanish Period’, as in the late 1500’s the Spanish established the first permanent settlement in Florida, known today as St. Augustine. Around this time, the first Christian missions were established in an attempt to convert Florida’s remaining native population.
This period is also defined by the arrival of the first African slaves, brought over by the Spanish. In the late 1500’s, not long after St. Augustine was established, Sir Francis Drake arrived and wreaked havoc on the settlement. This paved the way for a long conflict between British and Spanish settlers, both aiming to establish new colonies for their native countries.
1763 to 1783
This short period of time is defined by British control over Florida and the American Revolution that would be seen as a significant blow to that control. At the end of the war between British loyalists and revolutionists, the remaining loyalists fled to Florida, mainly settling in St. Augustine. They would later flee once again, heading back to England or on to the Bahamas.
At around this time, Native Americans known as “Seminole’ or ‘Runaways’, would establish populations in northern Florida. These people, originally known as the ‘Creek People’, would remain in Northern Florida for quite some time and engage in conflict with Spanish settlers.
Seminole Wars
The next era of Spanish control quickly began where the British control left off. With the arrival of this era, conflict began between colonists and the Seminole people. The beginning of the first Seminole War is defined by colonists burning down Seminole villages in northern Florida. Soon after, President Andrew Jackson ordered an invasion, targeting the native population. The Seminole Wars resulted in the deaths of fifteen hundred soldiers and civilians.
1920’s
The population of Florida subsequently exploded in the early 1900’s in an event known as the Florida Land Boom. This period during the 1920’s led to the establishment of many communities we know today, such as Coral Gables, Miami Springs, and Hollywood. The economy was booming until around 1926, when a powerful hurricane led to the destruction of the market, causing bankruptcy which plagued the local real estate market. The economy in Florida would not recover until World War II.
1940’s to Present Day
Florida’s modern land boom took place just after the end of the Second World War. During this time period, important points of interest were established, most notably Everglades National Park in 1946. The state of Florida also began to open up educational institutions, such as Florida State University and South Florida University a decade later.
With the beginning of the Cuban Revolution in the late 1950s, a large number of Cuban refugees landed on the shores of southern Florida. Soon, a large Cuban population was established, with an estimated 70 percent of all Cuban Americans living in Florida.
In 1962, John Glenn became the first man to orbit the Earth, after being launched into space from Cape Canaveral. Just seven years later, in 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon, being launched at the Kennedy Space Centre, just a short distance away.
There are so many reasons why you should make the trip to the Sunshine State if you haven’t already, but one of the most frequently overlooked reasons to visit is the state’s rich and extensive history that has made Florida the tourist hot spot it is today. Every year, millions set out to make memories here without realizing the historical significance of the location. With its history in mind, Florida is truly a place like no other and its past is just as much worth exploring as the state itself!
